A study investigated whether instructors in schools with formal staff development programs were more technologically up to date than instructors in schools with less formal programs. The study used existing data from program evaluations of five postsecondary technical institute (TI) instructors. A survey instrument collected data from 120 (of a sample of 153) postsecondary TI instructors. Findings indicated that formalized staff development programs were not identified within the TIs. Respondents rated workshops, conferences, and seminars sponsored by business and industry as the most effective updating activity. Other activities in descending order of rated effectiveness were work-experience internships, activities sponsored by professional and trade organizations, and industry observation and visits. Forty hours appeared to be the upper limit on time committed to an individual staff development activity. Instructors rated "not enough time in schedule" as the most substantial barrier to being technologically current. They indicated a "high need" for updating. Instructor-suggested criteria for assessing the technical currency of an instructor fell into typical categories: knowledge, work activity, updating activity, attitude/motivation, external evaluations, teaching activities, and performance test. (The instrument and 24 references are appended.) (YLB)